Ever since man learned to fish, fishermen have attempted to increase their catch by discovering new and better means to attract fish. Although today's sport fisherman does not rely on fishing skills for his existence, as did early man, he still seeks a bait or lure that will "get them biting" and thereby increase his chances of becoming a successful angler. Often, a fisherman will have his own special, homespun concoction or time worn method to attract fish. However, in spite of the innumerable attempts that have been made, it is an inescapable conclusion that in order to achieve the best results, the fish bait chosen should be as near as possible in shape, flavor, consistency and color to the natural diet of the sought after fish. As a result, many attempts have been made to duplicate the various constituents of a fish's diet in order to successfully lure it to the hook.
The diet of many varieties of fish includes their own and other species fish eggs and as a result, many fishermen use natural fish eggs as bait. This, however, can be relatively expensive and eggs may be occasionally difficult to procure as the amount available fluctuates. Also, at a time when there is an increasing awareness toward conserving our natural resources, the use of live fish eggs leaves much to be desired. It is clear that the stocks of natural fish eggs should perhaps be better utilized in restocking the various streams and rivers rather than be used as bait. The use of natural eggs can, where there are insufficient reserves available to produce new fish stock, contribute to the depletion of our lakes and streams by removing the fish that will ultimately reproduce the new eggs. This cycle can have as its denouement the decimation of our natural resources.
The prior art exhibits numerous examples of attempts to develop an artificial fish egg that has the same consistency, shape, flavor and color as the natural commodity. For example, Mack et al, U.S. Pat. No. 1,045,716 teaches the treatment of tapioca kernels with sweetened water to yield a composition similar to fish spawn. A similar approach can also be found in Noxon, U.S. Pat. No. 1,291,614 which teaches the use of a trout bait comprised of a globule of hydrated tapioca colored to have the appearance of a salmon egg.
Other compositions of artificial fish eggs may include a homogenous gel comprising protein, water and both a toughening and hardening compound, where the protein consists of animal gelatin, animal glue and casein, Humphreys, U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,899. In addition, in Stephen et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,803 the patentee manufactures artificial fish eggs by mixing a gel forming proteinaceous material such as animal glue, fish glue, fish gelation etc. and water at a temperature above the solgel transition temperature of the solution in the absence of a tanning agent. This mixture forms a homogeneous liquid proteinaceous mass which then undergoes further treatment to yield a fish bait with a cross linked exterior surface and a gelatinous body. While artificial fish eggs that approach the consistency and flavor of natural fish spawn are taught in the prior art, the methods involved are messy, time consuming and relatively complex.